away in a few weeks, the sullen bitterness of despair settled down upon them. Their losses in stock alone aggregated, according to the best estimates, more than 300,000 head. Is it any wonder that the springs of hope should dry up within their breasts? [Footnote 475: United States Statute at Large, Vol. IX, p. 871.] [Footnote 476: May 6, 1844.] [Footnote 477: May 30, 1844.] [Footnote 478: Letter of Secretary of War to Commissioners Jones and Butler, October 18, 1844.] [Footnote 479: October 18, 1844.] [Footnote 480: Letter of General Jones to Commissioner of Indian Affairs, November 17, 1844.] [Footnote 481: He was one of the chiefs of the Arkansas delegation who signed the treaty of May 6, 1828. (See United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 314.)] [Footnote 482: Letters of September 12 and November 23, 1844, from Agent Butler to Commissioner of Indian Affairs.] [Footnote 483: Letter of Commissioner Indian Affairs to Agent Butler, January 17, 1845.] [Footnote 484: Letter of Oo-no-leh to Agent Butler, May 15, 1845. Guess left a widow, a son, and two daughters. Hon. T. L. McKenny, in a letter to the Secretary of War, December 13, 1825, says: "His name is Guess, and he is a native and unlettered Cherokee. Like Cadmus, he has given to the people the alphabet of their language. It is composed of eighty-six characters, by which in a few days the older Indians who had despaired of deriving an education by means of the schools * * * may read and correspond." Agent Butler, in his annual report for 1845, says: "The Cherokees who cannot speak English acquire their own alphabet in twenty-four hours."] [Footnote 485: September 1, 1845.] [Footnote 486: October 22, 1845.] [Footnote 487: November 12, 1845. They explored up the valley of Stone Fort Creek a distance of 30 miles.] [Footnote 488: Report of the exploring party to their council.] [Footnote 489: January 19, 1846.] [Footnote 490: Letter to the President, February 10, 1846.] [Footnote 491: Letter to the Secretary of War, February 12, 1846.] [Footnote 492: April 2, 1846.] [Footnote 493: Letter of Agent McKissick to Commissioner Indian Affairs, May 12, 1846, and General Arbuckle to Adjutant-General, April 28, 1846.] [Footnote 494: Report of Agent McKissick July 4, 1846.] [Footnote 495: Commissioner Indian Affairs to Maj. William Armstrong, June 24, 1846.] [Footnote 496: July 6, 1846.] [Footnote 497: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, p. 871.] [Footnote 498: The subject of the North Carolina Cherokee interests was also referred to this commission July 13, 1846.] [Footnote 499: Report of Commissioner Indian Affairs to Secretary Interior, January 20, 1855.] [Footnote 500: Second Comptroller of the Treasury to Commissioner of Indian Affairs, February 6, 1849.] [Footnote 501: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 478.] [Footnote 502: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. V, p. 241.] [Footnote 503: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. IX, p. 339.]